Game device.



W. H. HEFFLEY.

GAME DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I. 1916.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

ILLI'HM H- HEFFLEY.

WILLIAM H. HEFFLEY, OF DUNCANNON, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2'7, 1917.

Application filed June 7, 1916. Serial No. 102,804.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HEFFLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duncannon, in the county of Perry and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had'to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved game device and has for its primary object to provide an electrically controlled game apparatus designed for use in connection with a pool table, and a circuit closer arranged at the mouth of each of the table pockets to be actuated by a ball entering the pocket.

It is'another and more particular object of the invention to provide a novel and interesting game apparatus embodying a suitably divided dial, the spaces on said dial having different values, and a rotatable pointer movable over the dial, electrically controlled means for actuating the pointer shaft in combination with a pool table and a circuit closer for the electrical means arranged at the entrance to each pocket of the pool table and including a sprin supported movable element adapted to e engaged and depressed by a ball entering the pocket to close the circuit.

It is a further general object of my invention to improve and simplify the construction of devices of the above character so as to enable the same to be used in connection with a pool table without necessitatin "ny material alterations in the construction of the latter.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the several parts ot'my improved game apparatus connected to a pool table;

Fig. 2 is an elevation illustrating the electrically actuating means for the rotatable pointer of the game device;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of one of the table pockets showing the circuit closer arranged therein; and

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, T designates a tab e such as is generally used for playing the game of pocket billiards or pool, said table being provided with a plurality of pockets P on its margin to receive the ball.

Upon the wall or any other suitable support adjacent to the table, a box or casing 5 is mounted, said casing having a vertical partition wall 6 dividing the same into two compartments 7 and 8 respectively. Upon the front wall of this box. a dial 9 is printed or otherwise suitably delineated, said dial having a multiplicity of sub-divisions of substantially equal areal These sub-divisions of the dial are colored white, red, blue, yellow, black, and green, and in the colored field a white or blank circular space,

indicated at 10, is provided, in which a numeral indicating the value arbitrarily given to the particular subdivision of the dial,

is printed. Also, if desired, any one or .more of the sub-divisions of the dial may have a star or other symbol indicated thereon, as shown at 11, and in the playing of diflerent games a special" value other than that indicated by the numeral may be given to this particular sub-division of the dial.

12 designates a shaft which is suitably mounted in the wall of the casing 5, and on the outer end of this shaft the pointer 13 is fixed to move over the dial 9. The inner end of the shaft 12 is mounted in a suitable bracket 14 secured to the wall of the case 5, and upon this inner end of the shaft a ratchet disk 15 is fixed. An L- shaped bracket 16 is also mounted within the compartment 7 of the case, and upon the same the electro-magnets 17 are suitably secured. Upon the verti al arm of the bracket 16, an armature 18 is pivotally mounted at one of its ends, as indicated at 19. The other end of said armature car: ries the pivot d pawl 21 which is held by BEST AVAILABLE cosmeans of a coil spring 21 in operative engagement with the ratchet disk 15. An arm is fixed to the wall of the case 5 and, in said arm, the spaced rods 23 and 24 are vertically adjustable, -said rods being held in their adjusted positions by means of suitable set screws 25. greater length than the rod 23 and extends for some distance below the latter rod. To the rod 23, one end of a coil spring 26 is connected. the other end of said spring be lug attached to the armature 18. This spring normally acts to hold the armature in an elevated position in spaced relation to the cores of the magnets 17.

In the entrance to thepocket I of the pool table, a downwardly inclined base plate 27 is suitably secured. Upon the outer longitudinal edge of this plate a movable plate 28 is hinged, as at 29. This plate is normally supported in an elevated, upwardly inclined position by means of the leaf spring 30 which is fixed at one of its ends to the plate 27. A contact pin 31 is mounted upon the plate 27' and suitably insulated therefrom. The plate 28 has an insulated contact member 32 secured upon its under face in opposed relation to the pin 31.

In the compartment 8 of the case 5, the batteries 33 are arranged, and a wire 34 extending from one side of the batteries is conneeted to the contact pin 31. A Wire 35 connects the other side of said batteries to the electro-magnets 17 and said magnets are connected by a wire 36 to the contact 32 on the plate 28. I

:Havin described the construction of my improvec game apparatus, its operation will be understood as follows. The players endeavor to pocket the balls in the usual manner, and as theball is driven into the pocket the weight of the same, as it passes over the plate 28, forces said plate downwardly so as to engage the contact 32 with the contact 31, thereby closing the electric circuit and energizing the magnets 17. The armature 18 is thus attracted and, inthe downward move ment thereof, the pawl or dog 20 on the end of the armature, operating upon the ratchet 15, causes the shaft 12 to rotate. The spring 21 is only sufiiciently strong to hold the point of the pawl 20 normally in engagement with the ratchet so that this spring will not retard the continued rotation of said ratchet. The pointer 13 is thus spun or rotated over the surface of the dial 9, and when said pointer comes to a position of rest the player who pocketed the ball scores the number of points indicated in the division of the'dial over which the point of the pointer is disposed. These dial spaces may be given other values, at the option of the players, and any suitable rules may be formulated for the playing of The rod 24 is of dilferent games. In this manner, it will be seen that I have devised a very novel and interesting game apparatus which will greatly add to the fascination of the ordinary game of pocket billiards. The invention itself is quite simple in construction and may manifestly be produced at small manu faeturing cost. N o inaterial alterations are necessary in the construction of the pool table, as the circuit closing device may be readily applied to the table pockets without changing the construction of the pockets in any manner whatsoever.

While I haveshown and described the preferred construction of the several elements employed, it is to be understood that the same are susceptible of considerable modification therein and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a game table having ball receiving pockets, of an electrically operated, chance-controlled indicator including a movable indicating element, and a circuit closer arranged in each pocket of the game table and operated by a ball entcring the pocket to close the circuit of said operating means, whereby the movable element is operated.

2. The combination with a game table havinga plurality of pockets, of a chanceconfi'olled indicator including a casing provided with a dial divided into a plurality of areas each denoting a certain indicated value, a pointer mounted on the casing and freely rotatable over the surface of the dial, electrically operated means for said pointer, and a circuit closer arranged in each of the pockets of the game table and operated by a ball as it enters the pocket to close the circuit of said electrically operated means and thereby rotate the pointer.

3. The combination with a game table having a ball receiving pocket, of a chancecontrolled indicator including a rotatable pointer, electrically operated means for actuating said pointer, a circuit therefor, and a circuit closer arranged in each of the table pockets and including a movable element over which the ball rolls as it enters the pocket to close the circuit of the electrical means and rotate the pointer.

4. The combination with a game table having a ball receiving pocket, of a chancecontrolled indicator including a rotatable pointer, electrically operated means for actuating said pointer, a circuit therefor, and a circuit closer arranged in the entrance to the table pocket consisting of a fixed contact BEST AVAZLABLE COP member and a spring-supported contact In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my member over which the ball rolls as it ensignature in the presence of two witnesses.

ters the pocket, thereby depressing said WILLIAM H. HEFFLEY. member into engagement with the fixed Witnesses: 5 contact and closing the circuit, whereby the E. C. SMITH,

pointer is rotated. S. L. BUCKE. 

